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Comparing Google Voice to Xfinity Voice 2go

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I have a plethora of phone numbers. For my job I use a Google Voice virtual phone number on my business cards. The number forwards to my business cell phone – or any other phone I wish. I have also been experimenting with Comcast’s virtual phone service, Xfinity Voice 2go. And, of course, I have my AT&T cell number itself. Dial any of the three, and my cell phone will make noise. Voice supports Android and iPhone – mine is Android.

What was I thinking? The Google Voice number was added for a couple of reasons. I recently transferred from Illinois to California for my job. I wanted a local area code on my business cards, and this was an easy way to do it. With Voice, both incoming and outgoing calls use the virtual number, if I set it up that way.

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I also wanted to be able to receive business calls on any phone, and Voice allows me to assign my virtual number to up to five different phones. I have assigned it to two - it’s disconcerting when both start ringing simultaneously for an incoming call.

Voice makes its connection through the local phone network using voice minutes rather than data bits. It connects to a local number owned by a third party voice network (I don’t know whose) and the call proceeds from there. Voice is an app, and – at least in my Android version – is very closely integrated with the cell phone. When Voice is setup, it transparently takes over phone calls. Visually, it looks exactly as if I am making calls with the usual cell phone interface.

Voice works well, with one issue. There is a noticeable time delay in conversation, similar to what I often get when using my Bluetooth hands-free device. Add these delays together, and both ends of a conversation end up talking over each other. Presumably, the phone call path is longer when using Voice. In a business conversation, I don’t like awkward moments. So, I looked at alternatives.

Xfinity Voice 2go (V2G for short) is similar to Voice. I needed to have the basic Xfinity Voice service in place – I do, for a business land line – and with that service, V2G is a free add-on. Google Voice allows one virtual number per account, V2G allows 4. V2G is available as an app for both Android and iPhone.

The notable difference is that V2G runs over a data connection, rather than a phone connection. This has some nice advantages. First, it means better voice quality – Comcast has apparently used a decent audio bit-rate, clearly better than a standard cell phone call. Second, it supports calling wherever you are, as long as you have a decent data connection. Call via wifi from your condo in Cancun, with no international phone rates to worry about. Call a friend in the Maldives via your cell phone data plan, again with no international rates.

V2G is not as tightly integrated with the cell phone, since it does not have to take over your phone connection. The cell phone connection continues to work while you are on a V2G call. I did not try to go back and forth, I doubt it would work well, since both calls would be trying to share the microphone and earphone. V2G allows you to choose a different ringer sound, so it is easy to know when a V2G call is incoming.

The delay I complained about with Voice is much shorter in V2G. Since it is a data call, this is probably a variable. Slower phones and slower data connections would likely affect the results. With my phone and my environment, it worked pretty well. I did have a couple of issues when both parties talked at the same time. The incoming voice was garbled, as if the app could not deal with two audio streams at once. Since there is little delay, and both sides speaking simultaneously was rare, I did not have this problem often.

If I had to pick today, I would choose Voice 2go. Unfortunately, numbers cannot be ported from one virtual service to the other. My business cards have the Voice number on them, and customers are using that number. It would be a problem to change. But both services work well, and aside from my pickiness over the voice delay, I am happy with Google Voice. Your mileage may vary.
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bejee
join:2007-07-30
Orleans, VT

bejee

Member

Google Voice to VOIP.ms

My phone use is roughly the same as above. I run Google voice and Voip.ms through an Obi 110. The GV number is for work - it rings my cell, home, and/or office, or anyplace I may be staying for a while. Really handy. At home I use the GV for local or regional calling and the VOIP.ms for Coast-to-Coast or when I know I am calling a cell phone. The same cheap Uniden cordless set works well w/the Obi - just enter **1 to use the secondary service. The same number shows in caller ID no matter what phone I use.

I do find some occasional latency in GV especially when calling or receiving from cell phones. Even though it is not the closest I use the NYC server for VOIP.ms and have avoided much of their problems with the Montreal sites. E911 is through VOIP.ms and my total phone bill for home and office with the 2 lines is around $10-15 total per month.

When dealing with virtual or VOIP phones, ymmv. A solid (not necessarily fast) internet connection is a must for either service to work well.

wmcbrine
join:2002-12-30
Laurel, MD

wmcbrine

Member

You can use data

It should be noted that you can use Google Voice with your data connection instead of voice minutes, just not with the Google-provided app. The two most popular apps that will let you do this are Talkatone and GrooveIP.

They'll also work over wifi, of course, which brings up the interesting possibility of using them on devices that aren't supposed to be phones at all, and don't even have cell-network connections. I do this with Talkatone on my iPad. It works very well, apart from occasionally getting disconnected from GV while idle, so that it doesn't ring for an incoming call. I have GV forwarding to a couple of regular cell phones as well, so this isn't a dealbreaker, but it's something I hope to sort out.
wkm001
join:2009-12-14

wkm001

Member

Re: You can use data

I agree, Talkatone works pretty well.

PapaMidnight
join:2009-01-13
Baltimore, MD

PapaMidnight to wmcbrine

Member

to wmcbrine
Indeed. I have had excellent experiences with GrooveIP myself.

DC DSL
There's a reason I'm Command.
Premium Member
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
Actiontec GT784WN

DC DSL

Premium Member

YMMV...

Thanks for the review. I've used GV for something like 5 years now. I don't have a smart phone so I use it with my Verizon landline, VZW cell, and 3CX VoIP softphone. I haven't had any issues with call quality on the landline. On the cell, no issues other than the typical breakup or echo that crops up in cell calls. Softphone, OTOH, has been hit-or-miss. You absolutely must have a fast enough processor and enough memory to keep calls from breaking down due to system load. Your terminating provider also makes a big difference. If there's a lot of latency along the route to their access point (particularly problematic once you're outside your ISP's network), call quality will be highly variable, if not awful.
bgoodbody
Bill G
join:2002-05-08
North Truro, MA

bgoodbody

Member

Comcast reps don't know anything about this

Can't find a rep or exec office person who knows anything about this for existing customers without a Google or iPhone.

Only interested in using simultaneous ring for main Comcast Voice Phone Number

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Re: Comcast reps don't know anything about this

Welcome to the world of Comcast.

Their CS is so bad that the customers know more about their offerings than their reps. I also know more about troubleshooting than their support staff as well.

If you hear about a product, their reps know nothing about it. Not even if its available in your area. It's like they don't even want to sell these products.

Comcast customer service and support is the worst. They have great products, just lousy service and support. I've gotten better service from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (of course because I'm a safe driver).
JNhome
join:2012-07-15
Salinas, CA

JNhome to bgoodbody

Member

to bgoodbody
Try this link: »www.google.com/url?sa=t& ··· 69,d.cGE

That's Comcast's FAQ.

I enabled via online account access. There's a spot in the Voice features sectoin that let's you activate the feature and choose phone numbers or set forwarding, etc.
bgoodbody
Bill G
join:2002-05-08
North Truro, MA

bgoodbody

Member

Re: Comcast reps don't know anything about this

This answer is irrelevant to the issue.

1. I use a Windows Phone and will not use either an iPhone or Android Phone.

2. IT looks like Voice to go REQUIRES and is ONLY for Apple fans and Google/Android Fans
wkm001
join:2009-12-14

wkm001

Member

Porting

You could always port your GV number to a free or 99 cent T-Mobile prepaid SIM, then to V2G.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

No thanks

I only give my cell phone number to my friends, family, and medical providers. Everyone else gets my home phone number.

Some calls can wait. And if I don't recognize the number, I let the answering machine (home) and voicemail (cellular) take the call. And I'll only return their calls if I want to. And if I recognize a bad number, I'll pick up the phone and immediately hang up.

Numbers I recognize come from either Iowa (319, 563, 641, 515), Connecticut (860), Maine (207), and Mass (413, 508, 781, 617).

I also pay $4.95 per month for a non-published number.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: No thanks

said by IowaCowboy:

I only give my cell phone number to my friends, family, and medical providers. Everyone else gets my home phone number.

Some calls can wait. And if I don't recognize the number, I let the answering machine (home) and voicemail (cellular) take the call. And I'll only return their calls if I want to. And if I recognize a bad number, I'll pick up the phone and immediately hang up.

Numbers I recognize come from either Iowa (319, 563, 641, 515), Connecticut (860), Maine (207), and Mass (413, 508, 781, 617).

I also pay $4.95 per month for a non-published number.

$4.95 for nonpub? Wow!

Why not just list under a fake name for free?
chgo_man99
join:2010-01-01
Sunnyvale, CA

chgo_man99

Member

Re: No thanks

for cell phones, its no issue, theyre private numbers
JNhome
join:2012-07-15
Salinas, CA

JNhome

Member

Re: No thanks

Not all THAT private. About 2 days after activating V2G, I got my first spam call from a police benevolent society asking for a donation.